Old Habits, New Years
by a certain slant of light
Summary: Old habits die hard, and memories harder. Smoking is an addiction, just like thoughts of her. Hatori Sohma reflects on resolutions on the snowy morning of January first.


**Author's Note:** Second Fruits Basket fanfic (first on this account), and first about dearest Hatori Sohma (who is my favorite Sohma man). Just a short one-shot, and to find out the rest, I guess you'll have to read! lolatpervyshigure. Eventually, I might write an Uotani and Kyou story.

**Super-Really Pointless Story:** Today when I went to go buy more Furuba manga at Chapters, I saw the most beautiful woman in the graphic novels section. I'm not kidding, she was the most gorgeous specimen of femininity that I have ever seen in my entire life. She was like Angelina Jolie plus Pocahontas plus the sexiest, most beautiful woman on earth. Yes, that's right: today, I saw the only woman I've ever seen that I'd actually go completely lesbian for. I'm serious. Of any person I've ever beheld, celebrities included, she was the most lovely. She will live on in my heart for a very long time.

**Disclaimer:** Fruits Basket and its respective characters, settings, etc. copyright Natsuki Takaya. In other words, I (sadly) don't own it. Obv.

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"Old Habits, New Years"

_By Genetix Chiquita  
_  
It was well past midnight when Hatori Sohma left the annual New Year's banquet. Silently, he entered his darkened office and opened the patio doors, allowing moonlight to stream in, blanketing the room in soft white light. Removing his suit jacket, he placed it on a hook near the door, withdrawing a small box from the breast pocket.

Taking a seat in the large leather chair, he glanced up momentarily. His eyes quickly flew to a picture frame on the shelf, as if conditioned to return there each time he sat down. He placed his arms on the desk, lowering his head and heaving a heavy sigh.

_Another year without Kana..._

He wistfully looked out at the falling snow, pure and fresh as if to honor the Sohma's cursed banquet. Winter had arrived again, serving only as a painful reminder to the dragon of the Zodiac.

Shaking his head, Hatori reflected back on the events of the night, remembering one of the few "interesting" conversations.

_"So what are Ha'ri-san's resolutions this year?" inquired Momiji, beaming happily in his feminine kimono._

"Yes, Ha-san! Do tell!" encouraged a merry Ayame. Hatori did not honor them with a response.

"Perhaps it's to capture the heart of someone! Tohru-kun, perhaps?" Shigure chided, receiving a glare from the dragon. He continued, "Oh, you silly old man! I'd have never pegged you for a pervert!"

"That's because you've already filled the position," Hatori stated frankly, knowing Shigure would be kept busy for a while contemplating what other sentences involving Tohru could include the words "filled" and "position".

"Oh no, I couldn't bear for Ha-san's heart to be stolen away by anyone but myself!" lamented Ayame, raising a hand to his head and looking faint.

"He really should get a girlfriend, though," remarked Hatsuharu, appearing in the hall and promptly receiving an embrace from Momiji.

"So should Shigure!" chirped the rabbit.

"I'm sure he's already got plenty," spat the ox sarcastically.

"Oh, you overestimate me, Haru-san. Truly, I'm such a lonely man," the dog replied, eyes glistening with false emotion.

"You'll never have to be lonely with me around," responded Ayame sensually, closing the distance between them and stroking Shigure's cheek.

Hatsuharu closed his eyes in annoyance, rubbing his temples. "Take it somewhere else."

"Shigure does know lots of girls though, doesn't he?" asked Momiji, ignoring the homoerotic scene unfolding before him.

The dog turned away from Ayame, stroking his chin deviously. "Well, I suppose that's true. Perhaps Ha-san would like some numbers, yes?"

"No, thank you," replied Hatori, clearly un-amused that the conversation had returned to him.

"Oh, Ha-san, I'm sure you'd meet plenty of women if you changed medical fields," remarked Ayame. "Gynecology, perhaps?"

"What's gynecology?" asked the rabbit, ears perking up with curiosity.

"Well," Shigure began, before Hatori placed a hand over his mouth.

"Not another word," he reprimanded.

"Oh, Ha-san, you're so cruel!" cried the dog. Regardless, the conversation soon floated off to other subjects, and Hatori decided it was high time he crept away.

Rolling his eyes at the recollection, the dragon's mind turned to the object in his hand. It was a small box enveloped in plain red wrapping paper that he had received from Shigure moments before he left. Taped to the front was a tiny card with a messily drawn dog on the front, smiling happily. Opening the card, he read what was written inside:

_Dear Ha-san,_

Happy New Year! Make a good resolution.

Love,  
Shigure

P.S. Tohru-kun wrapped it. Isn't she such a good little housewife! You should find one, too!

Hatori rolled his eyes again, gently removing the card and tossing it on the desk. Carefully, he slipped the box out of its wrapping paper. Emblazoned on the front in bright green letters were the words "Nicorette Gum". Scribbled beneath was Shigure's blue scrawl:

_Maybe this year you can quit smoking?_

The doctor stared, unfazed by his friend's joke. "Hypocrite," he muttered, flinging the pack of gum onto the desk along with the wrapping paper. Placing his head in his hands, Hatori exhaled. The cool winter air drifted into the office, the breeze softly nudging the small card directly into his line of vision.

_"Make a good resolution."_

Hatori leaned back, the chair squeaking as he did. He ran a hand through his hair, deep in thought. "A resolution...?"

If there was one thing Hatori knew about being a member of the Sohma family, it was that nothing was ever resolved. Standing up wearily, he plucked the picture from its perch on the shelf, running gentle fingers over the glass and staring forlornly at the photo within. "Kana," he mumbled.

_"Perhaps it's to capture the heart of someone!"_

Hatori placed the picture back on the shelf, taking a last look at it before shaking his head. "You can't accomplish such things overnight." Why had they made it sound so easy? The dragon wondered. "Maybe you can't over a year, either." Placing a hand to his chest, he could feel the beating of his broken heart.

_"Make a good resolution."_

The doctor chuckled bitterly. "Maybe I'll resolve to make a resolution."

_"Isn't she such a good little housewife! You should find one, too!"_

Glancing at the card on his desk, he gingerly picked it up, staring at the happy canine on the front. Flipping it over and examining the back, he saw a badly drawn seahorse next to an addition sign and a stick figure of a woman, which was next to an equal sign and a heart. Hatori gave a slight grin at Shigure's "art".

_"He really should get a girlfriend..."_

"Not this year," he told himself, his tone bittersweet. "This year, I'll start small." Placing the card on the shelf next to the picture frame and turning it so that the back faced him, Hatori picked up the pack of gum on his desk. Popping a piece out of the noisy foil packaging, he placed it in his mouth and chewed, silently loathing the taste.

Glancing up at the picture of Kana next to Shigure's card, Hatori gave a short, serene smile. "This year, I'll quit smoking." 


End file.
